The invention concerns a cosmetic pad for cleaning the skin or for removing make-up, as well as for applying cosmetic products such as creams, onto the skin.
There are many different types of cosmetic pads. EP 1 106 723 A1 discloses e.g. a cosmetic pad, both surfaces of which are water-jet needled. The cosmetic pad may also comprise 0 to 30% of artificial fibers, such as viscose fibers, polyester fibers, or bicomponent fibers.
EP 0 836 842 B1 discloses cosmetic pads and the production thereof. The pads comprise hydrophilic materials such as e.g. cotton, viscose or flax and/or hydrophobic materials such as e.g. polyethylene terephtalate or polypropylene. However, cosmetic pads are preferred which consist of 100% cotton, which consist of 100% viscose, which have at least 25% viscose, the rest being cotton, which have at least 25% cotton, the rest being viscose, which have 50% viscose and 50% polyethylene terephtalate, or which have 50% viscose and 50% polypropylene. Water jet solidification is used to solidify the nonwoven fiber material.
EP 0 405 043 B1 discloses a three-layered cosmetic pad, wherein the layers consist of 100% cotton noils. The two outer layers are tightly compacted and have a honeycomb pattern on their respective visible side. The three layers are combined into a sandwich-type construction. The edge regions of at least the outer layers are preferably connected to each other.
In accordance with WO 00/76384 A1, a cosmetic pad consists of 100% cotton fibers, wherein a first layer comprises fine fibers of a thickness of between 0.7 and 1.75 denier (2 to 5 μg/pouce) and a second layer of thicker fibers, which is to form an abrasive surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,324 describes a fiber mixture of wood pulp fibers and thermoplastic microfibers having an average fiber diameter of less than 10 μm. Due to the fact that this fiber mixture is produced quasi simultaneously with spinning of the microfibers, by e.g. introducing an air flow and a cellulose fiber flow into the region of the spinning head for the microfibers, the fibers are connected and the microfibers cause fixation of the cellulose fibers i.e. in a state in which the microfibers are still at increased temperatures and not yet hardened. The microfibers therefore form matrices for the wood pulp fibers and the wood pulp fibers are embedded in a flexible i.e. not rigid manner, even with very small microfiber contents up to less than 1 weight %. Further fibers or particulate material, including synthetic fibers such as nylon fibers and natural fibers such as cotton, flax, jute, and silk may also be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,417 describes a nonwoven material formed of a meltblown web of matrix forming fibers with a diameter of up to about 10 μm and incorporated therein a stable fiber mixture including staple synthetic fibers and (staple) cotton fibers. The cotton fibers have a denier of 1-1.5 and the staple synthetic fibers are disclosed having a denier of 15, 6 and 3, respectively.
Due to the production of the fiber mixture quasi in situ with formation of the microfibers in the melt blown process, the microfibers lose their independence in the fiber product and are changed due to contact with the wood pulp fibers in the still molten state.
It is the object of the present invention to produce a cosmetic pad which feels very soft and still has a very high cleaning or make-up removing capability.